So This Is Love
by Ann E Mae
Summary: Pan returns home after many years abroad. Trunks falls headfirst into the world of Pan, finally realizing what he was looking for his whole life was in front of him. Never had the two thought they would fall for the other, but love does work in mysterious ways.
1. Prologue

_Sometimes love hits you. Sometimes it's not so clear. Sometimes it takes a while till you realize you're actually in love. But in the end, what is love? What does it mean and when does it change from an ideal to something concrete? It's like trying to solve a puzzle that doesn't have a right or wrong method of proceeding. What's the point of searching for it? If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. It's amazing how it varies from person to person. Some search far and wide for their so-called "soulmate." But some of us are lucky. Some of us don't have to look for it. Some of us weren't even looking! It may just be the person standing in front of us by some miraculous twist of fate..._


	2. Chapter 1: Return

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT. They are, of course, rightfully owned by Akira Toriyama.

 **A/N:** Hello all, hope you enjoy the first chapter!

* * *

It was time. It was about time she came back home. It had been just over a decade since she left Japan. Pan Son had left during high school for an exchange program to the States and ended up enjoying it, thereby prolonging her stay through college. She was now twenty-five and funnily enough, she worked at one of the Capsule Corp. offices. Even being so far from Japan, she still had a tie with her old family friends. It was a one-sided tie, however, as she never had really told anyone about this as she didn't want any special favours pulled in for her by the Briefs. Pan was one who wanted to work for everything, to earn only what she deserved. Capsule Corp. being as large as it was, it wasn't a surprise that none of the Briefs found out she worked at one of their abroad offices.

Over the past couple years, Pan had been missing her family more and more. Although they did visit her now and then, it wasn't the same as seeing them as often as she would like. She had always been close to her family and she knew if she didn't return now, she never would have. So she put in a request a year and a half ago to transfer to the Japan office. It had taken a while, but she had finally had her request approved. She was on her way back to Japan, Capsule Corp. even securing a place for her to stay. Of course it would be inevitable that the Briefs would find out their little Pan Son was moving to the Japan office.

She was incredibly excited, but also a little nervous. She hadn't told anyone, not even her parents, that she was moving back. She wanted it to be a big surprise. They had always begged her to come back, especially after graduating from college but she didn't think it was a plausible idea. She knew her parents, uncle, and grandparents would be ecstatic to see her, especially because it had been a year since she had seen any of them.

And then there were the Briefs. Pan hadn't seen any of them since she left except Bra. She used to train with Vegeta back in her teenage days, but that came to an end when she chose to stay in the States for good. Bulma, Videl, and Chichi were still as close as ever and so Pan would hear bits here and there from Videl about what Bulma's genius mind put her up to next. Pan and Bra were very good friends before Pan had left, and she was the only one of the Briefs Pan had actually been in touch with. They would text or email each other here and there, but they hadn't seen each other since Bra had visited about five years back so Pan was very excited to surprise Bra. Finally, there was Trunks. Pan hadn't seen the CEO of Capsule Corp. in ten years. He was fourteen years older than her so the two were not that close. They more so just chatted when they saw each other at birthday parties, Christmases, other holiday events, or when he was hanging out with her uncle, Goten.

She sat at the airport, waiting for her flight. In less than 24 hours, she would be back home.

* * *

After her flight landed, she went through the usual airport procedures to get her luggage and sought out a cab. Of course she would have flown, but it might have been a tad obvious if someone saw a girl holding two large suitcases and a carry-on in the sky.

As she put her luggage in the cab, the cab driver said, "Where we off to?"

"As close as you can get me to Mount Paoz," she told the cab driver. She settled in the back seat with a smile on her face.

* * *

There it was. Her parent's beautifully humble home in Mount Paoz. It was the middle of the day so she doubted her father was home. She wheeled her luggage to the door and knocked loudly. Pan heard shuffling inside and footsteps moving closer to the door. Finally, the door opened to reveal her mother, Videl.

Videl stared in shock and finally opened her mouth, "Pan! Oh my Panny! Is that really you?" Without warning, Videl pulled Pan in for a warm hug. It didn't matter that Pan was a full-grown woman, a mother's hug was like nothing else. She had missed this.

"Of course, Mom! Are you happy to see me?" Pan winked.

"Are you kidding me? I cannot believe this. I'm so happy, Pan! So happy, you don't even realize!" Videl smiled, tears in her eyes. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's bring your stuff in!"

After bringing all her luggage in, the two raven-haired women sat at the dining table to catch up.

"So Panny, I see you have a lot of luggage. Planning a long stay?" Videl said.

"A very long stay in fact. I'm actually back for good," Pan said happily.

The look on Videl's face was of pure joy. This was a moment Pan had waited for a long time. Videl had aged well, her face still held the beauty it did a decade ago, some lines more pronounced than others. Pan and her mother shared many features from their black hair and eyes to their charming features and sleek figures.

"Your father is going to be ecstatic, you know?" Videl said.

Pan laughed and said, "I can't wait to see the look on his face!"

The ladies chit-chatted for what seemed like hours. They needed to catch up on everything. Pan opened up about her job at Capsule Corp., her decision to move, and her new apartment near the office. Before they knew it, they heard the door open. Gohan was home.

"Gohan!" Videl called out instantly. "Can you feel the ki of the special someone that graced us with her presence today?"

As Gohan entered the kitchen he began, "There's no way it's Pan-" and before he knew it he was grabbed into a bear hug from his only daughter. "I can't believe what my eyes are seeing!"

"Yes Dad, it's me. And before you ask, I'm back for good," Pan beamed.

This was a moment she never wanted to forget. Her parents' gleaming smiles as the three had a family hug. It truly was a picture perfect moment.

The three spent the evening catching up. Videl didn't spare Pan from her jet lag; she called Goku and Chichi to have a nice family dinner. Pan didn't mind being tired, this was worth it.

* * *

Pan started back at Capsule Corp. in three days, so she had some time to move into her new apartment and catch up with old friends. She hadn't even seen Goten yet, he was out of town for another few days on business Chichi had told her.

She slept for a solid twelve hours that night, feeling rejuvenated. She decided to go see Bra first so she showered, dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, and headed down for a quick bite. After giving a quick kiss on the cheek to her parents, she ran out the door headed for the Briefs' home.

Pan took a deep breath and knocked on the door to which Bulma opened. Bulma aged well just as her mom did, her beautiful blue hair tied in a ponytail. Bulma said, "Hi there, is there anything I can help you with?"

Odd reaction, Pan thought. It had been a decade, perhaps Bulma just didn't recognize Pan. "Bulma, it's me, Pan. Do I look different or something?"

"What? Pan?" Bulma looked confused. After a couple seconds of staring Bulma finally said, "Oh wow! Panny, it is you! I can't believe I didn't recognize you. My eyes must be getting old."

Pan replied, "Of course not, Bulma. I'm sure it's just a decade of not seeing me. You haven't aged at all."

Bulma said, "Kind as ever, Panny. Well come in!" Bulma led Pan into their large home. "You look absolutely beautiful, Pan. Really, you've grown into a gorgeous woman. I guess you're no longer the cute little teenager I once knew."

Pan blushed, "I don't know about gorgeous, but we do all have to grow up." Pan slyly said, "But speaking of beautiful girls, where is that radiant daughter of yours?"

Before Pan could take another breath Bulma yelled, "Vegeta! Bra! Get down here right now!" That Bulma was a forced to be reckoned with. She continued, "Trunks isn't here right now. He had to run into the office early today."

Pan replied, "Oh that's alright, I'll see him eventually... At work." Bulma looked confused so Pan said sheepishly, "I've actually been an employee of Capsule Corp. for the past few years."

"What? This whole time? And I didn't know?" Bulma questioned. She then squinted at Pan and said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Pan was spared Bulma's wrath as Bra and Vegeta were making their way down the stairs. Bra was a younger copy of her mother; blue hair, brilliant beauty, a true princess at heart. Nothing had changed with Vegeta, the man trained like crazy so he looked just as fit as when she left. As soon as Bra saw Pan, she ran down and pulled her into a hug, gushing over the fact that her longtime friend was home. Vegeta was stoic as ever. He was a man of few words, but Pan knew he had a soft spot for her.

"Oh Pan! I cannot believe you're back. I'm sure you're hearing that from everyone. You love surprising people don't you?" Bra beamed.

Pan smiled back, "You know me too well, even though it's been many years."

Pan walked over to Vegeta and gave him a hug. He wasn't much for affection or emotion for that matter but Pan didn't care. This was an exception. "Vegeta, come on, I know you're happy to see me. I know it's been a long time, but I was hoping you'd train me again?"

Vegeta smirked, "Is this your way of telling me you've become a weakling. Well then, I take the challenge. I'll make you strong again. We can't have you being an embarrassment to the Saiyan race." And Pan knew that that was Vegeta's way of welcoming her home.

Even though it had been a decade, as they began to talk, Pan realized that everything seemed as it was before. The laughter, the conversation, now just with a touch of maturity. Pan revealed to Bulma more about her job at Capsule Corp. and why she didn't exactly tell them sooner. She talked about her decision to move back. Bulma and Bra updated Pan on what was happening in their lives, while Vegeta stood in silence, as expected. Before she knew it, Bra whisked Pan to her room for some long overdue girl talk.

"So Panny, tell me, what's your dating life been like?" Bra asked.

Pan groaned, "I should have known that would have been your first question."

"Well come on, spill the beans," Bra pried.

Pan hesitantly started, "There's no beans to spill. There's nothing really to tell. My dating life has been pretty miserable. I dated here and there but nothing too serious. Guess I'm not the type guys like."

Bra chimed in, "Are you insane? You're so pretty, Pan! I'm not just saying it to say it, since I've seen you last you look amazing."

Pan blushed, "I don't know about that, but I don't see myself getting a man anytime soon."

"We'll see about that. We're going out tonight! There's this new club that opened up, it's really nice! I'm taking you there."

Pan groaned once more and then said sarcastically, "Yeah a bar is the best place to meet the man of my dreams." Pan wasn't much of a party girl, but she had been to a few bars and clubs. Not really her scene.

Bra jokingly slapped Pan on the arm saying, "I need to see your flirting skills, Pan. Then I'll know what I have to work with. Anyway, don't bother arguing with me, the princess of the Saiyans always gets her way." Bra smiled mischievously.

For the third time, Pan groaned. She knew there wasn't a way out so she just said, "Fine." Bra smiled triumphantly. Changing the subject from her to Bra, Pan asked, "So what about you? You've always had guys dying to go out with you."

Bra paused. She looked a little guilty. "Well, I've been meaning to tell you but I actually wanted to do it in person. There's this guy I've been seeing for a month, you know him pretty well. We haven't told anyone yet though."

"That's great, Bra! I'm so happy for you!" Pan truly mean it. "But why do you have this guilty look on your face? Who's the guy?"

"Before I tell you, you have to promise not to judge or react badly. And you have to promise not to tell anyone. It's too soon to tell my family," Bra said seriously.

Pan was worried now, who could it have been? It's not like Pan had any ex-boyfriends Bra could be dating in Japan and Bra knew it wasn't like Pan to be mad about something like that since Pan hadn't had any serious relationships. Pan replied a little nervously, "Alright... I won't judge or anything and I promise I won't tell anyone. The suspense is killing me, just tell me."

"It's Goten."

Pan stared blankly at Bra. Did she hear correctly? "Can you repeat that?"

"You heard me," Bra replied.

"Wait... my uncle? Goten Son?" Pan said again.

"Yes, Panny. You promised you wouldn't judge! I can see judgement on your face," Bra accused.

"No, no, I'm not judging. It's just a little surprising for me. I mean, Goten used to babysit us. He's thirteen years older," Pan said, criticism lurking slyly behind her tone. This was weird. Bra and Goten? Who would have thought?

Bra looked a little upset, "Maybe I shouldn't have told you. If you're thinking that, what will my parents think? And Trunks?"

Pan instantly felt regret for what she said. If Bra was happy, who was she to judge? In fact, it was kind of nice. Her uncle and her best friend. At least she knew Bra was in good hands. "Aw Bra, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in that way," Pan started. After a pause, se said, "Are you happy?"

Bra started to smile, "So incredibly happy, Pan. You have no idea."

"Then I'm happy for you. Honestly, the thought was a bit weird to me first. But if Goten makes you happy, then I am really, really glad you found him especially because I know Goten so well," Pan said and with a wink continued, "This means I won't have to be on guard for you."

Bra said, "Thank you, Pan. It means a lot. I'll spare you the dirty details since he is your uncle." Bra then winked and said, "That is, until you get more used to the thought of us."

Pan just rolled her eyes. So typical of Bra.

Bra continued, "Anyway, Goten is out on business but I think he should be back tonight. He called me earlier and said he finished a few days early. I'll go see him tomorrow. But for now we need to find clothes for tonight! When I'm done with you, every man in that bar will be fighting each other for a chance to talk to you."

Pan took a deep breath and tried her best not to groan. She was in a for a long night.

* * *

As the night reared closer and the girls were just about done getting ready, Pan made her way to the mirror. She almost didn't recognize herself. Bra had done everything right. Just the right amount of makeup, her raven hair curled just loose enough, and the dress. The dress was perfect for Pan's slim figure; a tight-fitting black, slightly-sparkled, low-cut dress that accented every feature of her body. She made Pan look amazing. She had no idea how Bra did it. Bra was true to her word.

"Admiring yourself, Panny?" Bra winked. "Yes, yes I know, I work miracles."

Pan laughed, "Honestly, I have no criticism here. You really did work a miracle."

Bra herself looked amazing. She wore a red dress, not as tight-fitted but still low-cut. "Well, let's get going. The night is young!"

* * *

The club was as nice as Bra said it would be. Not trashy at all, more fancy than anything else. Pan was pleasantly surprised with this, maybe this night would be better than she initially thought. They made their way past the dance floor to take two seats at the bar, ordering two martinis. The two ladies started talking away, as if they hadn't already talked for hours. As Bra promised, men came up to both of them trying to talk to them but Pan quickly dismissed them.

Bra squinted, "That's your problem. You're basically saying to each guy, 'Don't come near me.'"

Pan replied, "Well I didn't like any of them."

Bra said, "You won't know unless you try to at least get to know them. Come on, just try with the next one, okay?"

"Ugh, fine."

Bra started to get up saying, "I'm going to head to the bathroom, maybe you'll work better without me watching you. You'll really try, right Pan?"

"Fine, fine, I will."

Pan sat with her martini, drinking up the last bit and placing it back on the dark granite counter. She suddenly felt a presence behind her.

"Hi beautiful, can I buy you another martini?" she heard a smooth voice say.

The man proceeded to sit next to her and as she turned to look at him, she recognized him right away because of his most prevalent feature. Those lavender locks of hair.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please review and let me know if you liked it :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Surprise

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT. They are, of course, rightfully owned by Akira Toriyama.

 **A/N:** Hey everyone, here's Chapter 2! A special thank you to StarCrossedCC, jackorientationleader (for some reason, I wasn't able to put periods as in your username), and mali86 for your lovely reviews, they truly are motivating :)

* * *

Trunks. It was Trunks. Trunks Briefs, CEO of Capsule Corp., long time friend of her family, another part Saiyan. Pan was so confused. Why would Trunks be offering to buy her a drink, let alone calling her beautiful? Did he not recognize her or was this some type of joke? It couldn't have been a joke, the two never were so close as to pull those kinds of stunts.

Pan look at Trunks skeptically. Maybe she had heard wrong. _Maybe_ it was a joke. To make sure she heard what really came out of his mouth, Pan responded, "What? I didn't hear you."

Trunks gave her a dazzling smile and said, "I asked if I could buy you another martini."

So she did hear correctly, yet she was still not convinced. She tried out one more question, "Why me?"

Trunks chuckled and replied, "Huh, I've never heard someone respond like that to a drink. Well, I wanted to buy you another drink because I think you're the most beautiful woman in this club and was hoping to get more acquainted with you."

Trunks sure had a way with words, but those were the very words that confirmed it for Pan. He must not have recognized her! It made sense seeing as even Bulma didn't recognize her earlier in the day and taking into account the makeover Bra had given her. This was laughable. Trunks Briefs was hitting on Pan, only he didn't realize it was Pan! She couldn't fathom how this was happening. It didn't make sense to her how someone like him would come up to someone like her. Now even though Pan wasn't very close to Trunks she wasn't blind, she could admit to herself that the man was gorgeous. She could see that even before she left. Women were always falling over him. He seemingly had it all: looks, riches, and strength to boot! Not to mention that he looked ten years younger than he actually was, another perk of Saiyan blood. He could have any woman at this club but he thought she was the most beautiful. Pan knew Trunks could pick up women easily, yet she couldn't help but feel something almost like butterflies in her stomach.

For tonight, it seemed that Pan had caught the eye of the CEO of Capsule Corp. This night was turning out better than she thought, she decided to have a little fun with this. She replied playfully, "Does that mean you offer to buy many women drinks?"

"Only the ones that captivate me," he started saying and then continued, "But that doesn't happen very often. You could say I'm picky." He was amazing. He sure knew how to make a lady feel on top of the world. Pan knew better though, or that's what she told herself.

"You sure do have a way with words, Mr. CEO," Pan slyly said as she ran her finger around the rim of her glass. Anyone familiar with Capsule Corp. knew Trunks Briefs so this statement wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She then said, "Perhaps something you've learned from years in business?"

Trunks was stunned for a moment but then raised his eyebrow and responded, "Ah, so you've recognized me. So much for being a mysterious stranger. Guess the hair gives me away, huh?" He then ran his right hand through his lavender hair.

Pan laughed and said, "Sure does." Well it wasn't a complete lie, she did notice his hair first. She then said, "Working at Capsule Corp. is another giveaway too."

Trunks replied, "So you're a fellow employee? Capsule Corp. being as big as it is, I suppose it isn't completely surprising I'd run into someone outside of work. Although, it's a shame I hadn't seen you sooner."

Pan blushed. She couldn't help but enjoy this, enjoy Trunks' attention. She knew she shouldn't have but she was too far wound into this conversation. Staring into his cerulean eyes, it was hard to look away. She couldn't stop herself from continuing. "Probably because I just moved back to Japan yesterday."

He said, "I see, well then this seems more like luck than anything else." He gave her another brilliant smile and said, "You know very much about me, but I know very little about you. What's your name?"

"Pan!" Bra yelled as she ran to her. "Look who I found!"

Talk about perfect timing, Pan thought sarcastically. There went her cover. She was worried that Trunks would be angry with her. She never meant to prolong the conversation that long without telling him it was her. She didn't know what came over her, that must have been the "Trunks effect."

As Bra reached where Pan was sitting, she said, "Oh Trunks, you've already found Pan! I meant to bring Goten over to her. He's taking his own sweet time walking over here."

The look on Trunks' face was one of pure confusion. He looked at Bra and then looked at Pan, and then did this once over before realization dawned over him. He looked shocked and embarrassed. Pan didn't know what to say back at him. This wasn't exactly a joke you would play on someone you hadn't talked to in ten years, especially not someone you were never close with to begin with. She wouldn't blame him if he was mad.

Bra interrupted Pan's thoughts saying, "Trunks, why do you look so confused?"

As if his best friend knew to save him from this question, Goten made his way over and said, "Pan! I didn't believe Bra when she said you were back, but it's true!"

Pan looked at Goten and for a moment forgot about how awkward this situation could potentially be. She had missed her uncle so very much. She didn't have siblings nor did Goten so he was more of an older brother to her than anything. Even so, she loved calling him uncle to get on his nerves. She got up and gave him a big hug saying, "Uncle Goten! I'm so happy to see you. I didn't expect to find you here of all places."

Goten groaned and said, "Stop calling me uncle, Panny! I'm not that old."

Pan laughed, "I've been calling you uncle since I was a kid, I can't shake something like that! Blame your older brother for that!" It was just like old times. Goten aged just as well as Trunks, looking young as ever. Pan and Goten could have passed for siblings anywhere.

While Pan and Goten talked, Bra watched Trunks' expression carefully. Bra was a very bright girl, she was the daughter of the genius Bulma Briefs after all. She was great at reading other's faces and reactions. This was her brother so she knew him doubly well. She had watched as Trunks looked confused when she had called out to Pan, how Trunks had not broken his silence or even cracked a smile, how his body angled toward Pan when she arrived at where they were sitting. It wasn't often that Trunks was disoriented. He had learned how to manage his reactions through his years at Capsule Corp. She then realized exactly what had happened.

"Trunks, were you hitting on-" Bra began but was interrupted by a shush from Trunks. Of course he wouldn't want her to say that out loud. He had been hitting on his best friend's niece for heaven's sake!

Goten then said, "It's great that we're all here. We can probably reserve a booth and catch up."

Trunks then proceeded to say, "Actually Goten, I just got an email from work calling an emergency meeting early in the morning. I'll need to head out now and get some rest, but you guys stay and have fun."

Pan looked at Trunks. He was purposely avoiding eye contact with her; he clearly wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as physically possible. Pan remained silent but Bra piped up saying, "Are you sure? You couldn't have caught up with Pan in the ten minutes I left her." Unknowingly to Pan and Goten, Bra gave Trunks a wink. Bra wasn't making it easy for him to leave.

Trunks maintaining his composure said, "Very true, but this is a rather important meeting so I better be well-rested for it. I'll meet up with you guys another time. Have a good time tonight." He then waved goodbye and left them.

Pan watch silently, regretfully, as he walked away.

* * *

Holy fuck, Trunks had thought as he left the club. He was angry to say the least. More than that he was embarrassed and upset with what had happened. He knew it was a bad idea going tonight. Goten had gotten back from his trip a few days earlier and suggested a night out to blow off some steam. He never wanted to go in the first place. He knew he didn't look his age but it still wasn't an excuse for a thirty-nine year old to be acting like a twenty-five year old!

Trunks' dating life had been grim the past few years. He found himself dating slightly younger women who liked him for his looks and money yet had no substance or women his age who looked ten years older than him. He had started to lose hope in finding a person who he could actually talk to, someone who didn't care about his money, someone who really loved him. So Goten suggested this club since it was more elegant than other places. Goten had pushed Trunks to at least try to find someone to flirt with, it didn't have to be serious just as long as he tried.

When they arrived at the club, Goten told Trunks to go to the bar and get a drink, maybe find someone to talk to there if he didn't want to meet a girl on the dance floor. Goten had excused himself to the bathroom and Trunks motivated by Goten, made his way to the bar. That was when he noticed this captivating woman, sitting by herself downing a martini. Black curled hair, amazingly dressed, gorgeous face. He started to think Goten wasn't so off after all.

That was when Trunks decided to pull out the moves he used on women when bars and clubs were his regular scene. He approached the woman and offered to buy a drink to which she reacted oddly. Whenever he used to offer to buy a woman a drink, as soon as they had a look at him they said accepted almost instantly. But this woman asked, "Why me?" Such an unusual response for a woman sitting at a bar. Even in the few words they shared, the way she talked was different. She spoke smoothly, smartly, with skepticism of his intentions. She didn't realize how mesmerizing she was.

Little did he know this entrancing woman was Pan Son! Of course he was humiliated; this was his best friend's niece, his family friend, a woman fourteen years younger than him! And he had been flat-out hitting on her, there could be no other interpretation for what he said to her.

The only thing worse was that she went along with it. It made no sense to him. Pan and him were never the closest of friends, they were the type of friends that only saw each other at family parties, when he used to come over to her place with Goten, or when she'd come over to see Bra. It didn't seem like the type of thing that Pan would have done or the type of joke she would have played... unless she was actually enjoying all the flattering compliments Trunks gave her. No, that couldn't be it. She knew his age, she knew their relationship, she knew what was at stake. Then again, he hadn't seen Pan in a decade. Who was he to say she hadn't changed?

Despite all this, he couldn't forget how beautiful she looked. The last time he had seen her she was fifteen, just a teenager! Now she was a full-grown woman, with looks that could kill, a striking personality... and breasts. And now he was thinking of Pan's breasts, he felt like such a pervert. This was Gohan's daughter, he would kill Trunks if he knew what Trunks was thinking.

For now, he needed to get away from there and just figure out how to deal with this situation. Would he ignore her? Pretend it never happened? He didn't know what was the best course of action. He frowned at his misfortune; this was the first woman he was enthralled by in what seemed like a year and he couldn't, or rather, he shouldn't do anything about it.

Just then a thought hit him. Pan had mentioned working at Capsule Corp. and recently returning back to Japan. Was this really true? Seemed like too much to make up a lie like this for the conversation they were having. He would just have to check that out tomorrow at the office.

* * *

Pan had stayed back with Goten and Bra at the club catching up over drinks. Bra had mentioned to Goten that she had told Pan about their new relationship. Goten had looked a little nervous so Pan reassured him, "Don't worry, Uncle Goten! I was a little surprised at first, but I really do think it's great." She then teased him saying, "You better not hurt her or you'll have me to answer to!"

Goten pretended to pull at his collar saying, "Nothing is more terrifying than the wrath of a Son woman!" This was certainly true as Pan inherited her fiery temper from Chichi.

As they were getting ready to leave, Bra turned to Pan and said, "You have to sleepover tonight, we haven't had one of those in a long time!"

Pan looked at Bra skeptically and said, "Aren't sleepovers for teenagers, Bra?"

Bra playfully replied, "Honey, we are forever young. You're never too old for a good old fashioned slumber party with your bestie."

Pan laughed saying, "Don't you want to spend the night with Goten since he just got back?"

Goten interjected, "Don't worry about that, Pan. I'm pretty spent anyway since it's been a long day. I can meet up with Bra tomorrow night, right Bra?"

"Yeah of course. Besides, your uncle needs his beauty sleep," Bra joked.

Goten rolled his eyes at his trigger word "uncle" earning a giggle from the two ladies and a kiss on the cheek from his girlfriend.

Bra then looked at Pan expectantly and said, "So what do you say? Are we on for the sleepover?"

Pan put her arm around Bra and replied, "As long as you're sure you don't want to spend the rest of the night with Goten, then of course I'll come over." Although she agreed with ease, there was the underlying issue of Trunks living in the same house as Bra. She knew her chances of running into him were slim to none given how large their house was (a byproduct of their riches) and Trunks' busy schedule. That was the reason she agreed to sleepover, along with the fact that she didn't want Bra to think something was up.

Bra cheerfully said, "Great! Let's head back."

* * *

Pan and Bra flew back to Bra's house and entered through the balcony, just as how they did in their old teenage days. Bra gave Pan some shorts and a t-shirt to change into for the night. After the two friends had changed, brushed, and washed all their makeup off, they settled into Bra's huge bed.

Pan yawned, ready for bed. Bra saw this and said, "No way, missy. You're not sleeping yet. You need to tell me all about how Trunks tried to pick you up at the club!"

That woke up Pan almost instantly. So Bra had known all along! This is why Bra insisted Pan sleep over. She shouldn't have been so surprised, Bra did pick up on things quickly. Pan said, "I can't believe you know! What gave it away?"

Bra replied, "Oh please, it was so obvious he didn't recognize you! He looked so confused when I called out your name. It's just hilarious that my brother was hitting on you! " She doubled over laughing. Well, she wasn't wrong there. "You're just lucky Goten isn't as observant as me."

Pan then proceeded to tell Bra what exactly had happened during her interaction with Trunks. Bra listened intently, soaking in every word Pan had to say. After Pan had finished with her recap, Bra said, "So what are you going to do about this? Do you like him?"

Pan then said, "I have no idea what to do. I never even thought about liking Trunks before! He's your brother, not to mention the age gap. But it was so strange, I ended up getting so engrossed in the conversation. I felt... special, for lack of a better word. I felt special that he was talking to me, even though I know Trunks is an expert at picking up women. It was just the "Trunks effect." He's an expert at making a girl feel one of a kind."

Bra contemplated this for a second and then responded, "I think the word you're looking for is butterflies." Pan was about to interrupt so Bra proceeded to say, "Before you say anything, just listen to this. Before Goten, I would have thought it was crazy. But look at what happened, we ended up getting together. Before, I might have thought the idea of you and Trunks would be weird but I guess after Goten, it's just not that weird. And if you actually felt something, then I don't think you should overlook it just because he's my brother or the fact that he's fourteen years older."

"That means a lot, Bra. But the thing is, even if I did feel something, it wouldn't matter. We both know how Trunks is. He goes through a lot of women. Besides, he wouldn't even give it another thought now that he knows it was me."

Bra then said, "You don't know that for sure. He hasn't been dating as much these past couple years, maybe he's ready for something more. Maybe that's what he saw in you today."

Pan closed her eyes and sighed, "I don't know. I don't know what to think. I think it's better I just sleep on it. For now, promise me you won't tell anyone? This is all just really weird for me."

Bra hugged Pan and said, "Of course not." She then giggled and said, "There's plenty of time for me to bug you about this, for now let's get some sleep!"

And that they did.

* * *

Pan opened her eyes groggily and looked at the clock. 6am. Great, a day when she could actually sleep in and her body refused to. It was probably the jet lag. She was about to close her eyes again when her stomach made a huge noise. There was no ignoring a Saiyan's stomach so she decided to get up and rummage the Briefs' refrigerator. Her first stop was the bathroom to brush her teeth.

The bathroom was outside of Bra's room so she got off the bed and headed for the door. As she left Bra's room she rubbed her eyes trying to wake herself up. Her vision was blocked so she bumped into something tall. She blinked a few times clearing her eyes to see what it was. As she processed what was in front of her, she realized she wasn't seeing what it was, she was seeing who it was. The chances were slim to none, yet it had happened. There, standing right in front of her, was Trunks.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! Please review with your thoughts :)


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